Head of the Commonwealth
thumbThe present British monarch,
Queen Elizabeth II, is the second to be recognised as
Head of the Commonwealth in the 53 member states of the
Commonwealth of Nations. This includes
republics, the (presently sixteen)
Commonwealth Realms, where the monarch is also
Head of state (though separately from his/her roles as Head of the Commonwealth and monarch of the UK), and monarchies under another dynasty (as in
Tonga,
Malaysia,
Swaziland, etc.).
The official French version (for use in Canada) is
Chef du Commonwealth; the
South African version in
Afrikaans was
Hoof van die Statebond (literally 'Chief of the confederation', while the common Afrikaans word for Commonwealth is
Gemenebes) to 31 May 1961, when it became a republic.
The role of the "Head" of the Commonwealth is perhaps best compared to that of a ceremonial president, but for life, unlike the chairman or
secretary general of any other international organization, the head of the Commonwealth is a symbol of the association - without powers to decide what the Commonwealth should do or how it should conduct its affairs, yet playing a very important role in shaping the Commonwealth.
The title is not vested in the British Crown
[ In this sense, the term "British Crown" refers to the Crown as shared amongst the Commonwealth Realms, not the Crown in Right of the U.K. ] and the Commonwealth's members may not agree that the next monarch after Elizabeth II should automatically succeed her as Head of the Commonwealth upon accession to the Throne.
[The position of Head of the Commonwealth was discussed at the 1997 Edinburgh Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The consensus was that the title should remain annexed to the Sovereign.]The Head of the Commonwealth is recognised by its members as the "symbol of their free association", attends Commonwealth Heads of Government summits and the
Commonwealth Games, which are held every four years, and on every
Commonwealth Day, which is the second Monday in March, broadcasts a message to all member countries.
Every two years a meeting of the
Commonwealth Heads of Government is held, at locations throughout the Commonwealth. The Head of the Commonwealth is normally present in the host country, and has a series of private meetings with the Commonwealth countries' leaders and attends a CHOGM reception and dinner, and makes a speech there. The latest CHOGM was held in November 2005 in
Malta; the next meeting will be held in 2007 in
Uganda.
The London Declaration of 1949, devised by
Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent stated that the British monarch would be a symbol of the free association of independent countries, and as such the Head of the Commonwealth. These words meant that republics could be members - they could accept the monarch as Head of the Commonwealth without being their own Head of State. Thus when the former
dominion of
India became a
republic within the Commonwealth in
1950, it recognised
George VI as the symbol of the association, but not as its head of state.
When
Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952 she became Head of the Commonwealth.
On her accession she said "The Commonwealth bears no resemblance to the empires of the past. It is an entirely new conception built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: friendship, loyalty, and the desire for freedom and peace."
*
List of Titles and Honours of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom*
Commonwealth Realms
